Eye & Face Protection Program

Introduction

Purpose

﻿﻿Indiana University Environmental Health and Safety (IUEHS) has developed this program to ensure a safe work environment and to protect the health and safety of Indiana University faculty and staff. This Program is written in accordance with the requirements of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)29 CFR 1910.133. Employees must be aware that safety eyewear does not eliminate all hazards to their eyes and face. To reduce the possibility of injury, protective equipment must be properly selected and maintained in a clean and functional condition.

Prescription Safety Eyewear Form

Scope

The Eye and Face Protection Program pertains to all Indiana University faculty and staff who have a potential for injury to the eyes, as indicated by the job hazard assessment.

Authority and responsibility

University Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for:

Ensuring departments are aware of and monitoring compliance with the Program;

Verifying that a job hazard assessment has been performed upon receipt of the prescription safety eyewear form;

Providing consultation to departments in assessing the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE);

Recommending PPE that properly protects each affected employee;

Communicating selection decisions to employees and supervisors;

Documenting hazard assessment components, and;

Reviewing, updating and evaluating the effectiveness of the Program.

Supervisors are responsible for:

Conducting specific job hazard assessments to determine hazards which necessitate the use of PPE and providing documentation to IUEHS;

Advising employees as to the required PPE for their job tasks;

Providing proper PPE as required;

Ensuring PPE is available;

Ensuring PPE is being worn by each affected employee during all job tasks which require such protection;

Documenting purchase and distribution of all PPE;

Maintaining documentation of job hazard assessments;

Contacting Environmental Health and Safety when a hazard or process has changed which may render previously used PPE ineffective; and

Ensuring defective or damaged PPE is removed from use.

Employees are responsible for:

Inspecting all PPE prior to each use;

Wearing PPE upon the direction of their immediate supervisor;

Notifying their supervisor when new PPE is necessary or of defective or damaged PPE; and

Notifying their supervisor of any changes which might impact the type of PPE they utilize.

Program Elements

General Requirements

﻿Suitable eye or face protection shall be provided where there is a potential for injury to the eyes or face from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, potentially injurious light radiation, or a combination of these.

There are five general classes of eye and face protection:

Safety spectacles

Face shields

Goggles

Laser safety goggles

Welding helmets.

The type of protection required shall be determined by the type and degree of the hazard and shall comply with ANSI Standards Z87.1-1989, Z87.1-1989(R-1998) and Z87.1-2003 “American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection”.

Each employee that wears prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards shall wear eye protection that incorporates the prescription in its design, or wears eye protection that can be worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription lenses or protective lenses. Specific requirements for the procurement of prescription eyewear are identified below.

All eye and face protection shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer and must meet the following minimum requirements:

Provide adequate protection against the particular hazards for which they are designed;

Be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed;

Be reasonably comfortable when worn under the designated conditions;

Fit snugly without interfering with the movements or vision of the wearer;

Upon the start of employment for employees working in an eye-risk job; and

When the safety eyewear of a qualifying employee becomes seriously damaged or lost due to their use on the job.

Non-prescription safety eyewear may be obtained through the employee’s department or an employee may purchase non-prescription safety eyewear commercially so long as it meets the requirements noted above. NOTE: safety eyewear purchased by the employee will not be reimbursed.

Prescription Safety Glasses

Prescription safety glasses will be provided when:

Use of prescription eyewear is necessary for the employee to safely and reliably perform the job, and;

Use of safety glasses or other eyewear over the employee’s prescription glasses is not feasible.

Prescription safety eyewear will require an eye examination. Eye examinations may be obtained from the University designated prescription eyewear provider or other qualified providers. The affected employee is responsible for the eye examination fee, which may be partially or fully covered by their health care plan.

Prescription safety eyewear will be obtained from the service provider identified by each respective campus. The following outlines the process:

The department shall perform a job hazard assessment. The analysis must indicate the need for safety eyewear;

If non-prescription eyewear is appropriate; the manager shall procure eyewear for the employee. Note: the employee must participate in selecting eyewear to ensure a good fit and comfort;

If prescription eyewear is needed, the manager shall complete a “Request for Prescription Safety Glasses” form, including billing information and signature, then forward the form to IUEHS for their respective campus for verification and signature. See Appendix B for further details;

IUEHS for the respective campus shall maintain records of all requests for prescription eyewear, tied to the job hazard assessment;

IUEHS for the respective campus shall approve the request if the job hazard assessment on file supports the need for safety eyewear and meets the requirements listed in the previous section;

The request shall be returned to the manager/supervisor; and

The employee shall take the signed form to the University designated prescription eyewear provider to obtain the eyewear. Employees may choose from several styles of approved safety eyewear.

Prescription safety glasses may be obtained at the employee’s department’s expense:

With a current valid lens prescription; and

When the employee is initially hired; or

When the employee’s prescription safety eyewear is seriously damaged or lost due to their use on the job, or;

When the employee’s eyewear prescription changes significantly, as indicated by a licensed optometrist or other qualified professional, or;

After two years without a change in the prescription, or;

When the employee’s job changes to include eye-risk jobs, or job hazard assessment indicated a change in safety eyewear requirements for that job.

A number of options are available to those employees needing prescription safety eyewear, including tinted lenses, polarized lenses, photo chromic lenses, or leaded (Pb) lenses if the employee’s job duties warrant the option (such as working outdoors in bright sunlight).These options must be approved by IUEHS for the employee’s respective campus, providing that the option does not interfere with or impair the employee’s corrected vision, and thus does not constitute an additional safety risk. If the option is deemed by the department manager and IUEHS to be critical to the employee’s job performance, the option will be paid for by the department. Otherwise, options and any other additional costs will be borne by the employee.